Asicilicus was an oldLatindiacritical mark, ͗, like a reversed C (Ɔ)[1] placed above a letter and evidently deriving its name from its shape like a littlesickle (which issicilis in Latin). The ancient sources say[2] that during the time of theRepublic it was placed above ageminate consonant to indicate that the consonant counted twice, although there is hardly anyepigraphic orpaleographic evidence available from such an early time. When such geminate consonants began to be represented during classical times by writing the letter twice, thesicilicus naturally fell into disuse in this function, but continued to be used to indicate the doubling of vowels as an indication of length, in the developed form of theapex.[3] Fontaine suggests thatPlautus alludes to the sicilicus in the prologue toMenaechmi.[4]
^Cf.John Edwin Sandys,A Companion to Latin Studies, Cambridge University Press 1910, §1099, p. 743, where specific instances are provided:C.I.L. v 1361, x 3743, xii 414.
^Cf.IsidoreEtymologiae 1.27.29 (ubi litterae consonantes geminabantur, sicilicum superponebant, ut 'cella', 'serra', 'asseres': ueteres enim non duplicabant litteras, sed supra sicilicos adponebant; qua nota admonebatur lector geminandam esse litteram);Nisus fr. 5 Mazzarino inVelius Longusde Orthographia Keil 7.80;Gaius Marius VictorinusArs Grammatica 4.2 Mariotti.
